Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Iraq have legalised some 1.1mn undocumented Bangladeshi overseas workers as a result of successful diplomatic efforts of the government.
“Bangladeshi undocumented workers in various countries are becoming legal due to relentless diplomatic efforts of the government,” Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Nurul Islam told the parliament yesterday while replying to a question.
The minister said the government has undertaken various measures for welfare of Bangladeshi overseas workers.
He said the Saudi Arabian government legalised around 800,000 undocumented Bangladeshi overseas workers, Malaysian government 267,000 and Iraqi government 10,000 workers.
Nurul informed the parliament that apart from passports, the government has been issuing out passes against workers facing different problems abroad for their return home.
He said the government realised 686mn taka in favour of 1,139 deceased workers abroad from their employers during the fiscal year 2015-16 as compensation/ insurance/ dues/service benefit, which was distributed among their heirs.
Besides, the government provided 98mn taka while handing over the bodies of dead workers to their family members at airport during 2015-16 financial year as burial expenditure, the minister said, adding that each family of the deceased workers got 35,000 taka.
Meanwhile, the government provides 300,000 taka to each family of the legal overseas workers dying abroad.
In this regard, the government provided 1,653mn taka as financial assistance to families of 5,868 dead workers from Wage Earners Welfare Board in 2015-16, he told the parliament.